Dear Mother, With Love
by Kasaki Kihoya
Summary: AU- When Yuki receives a phone call from Hatori telling him his mother has cancer, with a month to live, he realizes where he went wrong. Now, Yuki wants to know about her. Though she is on her deathbed, will she let him in? Or is it too late to even try?
1. Dear Mother, Will You Accept Me?

**Dear Mother, I'm Giving You a Second Chance**

**Chapter One- Dear Mother, Will You Accept Me?  
**

"_I want to repay them. I want them to be repaid, more than the number of times they smiled for me." Kakeru Manabe, Fruits Basket Vol. 19_

Somehow, today didn't feel like a good day.

My name is Sohma Yuki, and I am part of a family that has been cursed for years. What is our curse you ask? We are all possessed by the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Well, I should not say all of us, just the ones who are kept on the inside of the Sohma estate. Though there are a few exceptions to the rule. I am one of them, along with Shigure Sohma and Kyo Sohma. Shigure is possessed by the spirit of the Dog, whereas Kyo is the Cat. I am the Rat-cursed. Then there is Tohru Honda, who is not even a part of the Sohma family. She just happened upon us one day, after we discovered she was living in a tent in the woods till her Grandfather's renovations were completed. Though even after they were finished, she continued living with us. For now, this is all you need to know in order to understand this story.

Somehow today didn't feel like a good day. I just knew. The sky was cloudy, and it looked like rain was coming, it's almost summer, there isn't supposed to be rain. I was thankful it was Sunday, and I didn't have to wake up early for school, so I was properly awake when I headed downstairs for breakfast. Tohru was smiling as she said, "Good morning, Yuki-Kun!" I smiled back at her and wondered as I sometimes did, how does she manage to smile so brightly? Tohru has been through so much, and almost all of it relates somehow to the Sohma's. Though I am grateful we had nothing to do with her mother's accident in our first year of high school.

I hear Honda Kyoko-San was an extraordinary woman. Tohru says that she was in a gang in high school, I found that heard to believe at first because of Tohru's endearing nature, but soon accepted it after I heard Uotani-Sans story of how Kyoko saved her from her own gang back in middle school. Really, all the stories that everyone has to tell, they shock me so much. It never occurred to me that other people, people outside the Sohma family, I never thought that they too suffered. Though little by little, I think I am becoming more observant of the small details around me.

It was soon after I had finished my breakfast that I heard another set of feet coming down the stairs. An orange head of hair quickly turned the corner into the kitchen. "Tohru, please tell me it's not raining. I have the worst feeling it is…" Kyo Sohma flopped down on the other end of the table. To be honest, he looked half dead. I take pity on him on the rainy days; he gets so exhausted, just because he's the Cat. Tohru frowned, and I could already hear Kyo sighing in defeat. "I'm sorry Kyo-Kun, it's raining, really hard too." Kyo swung his head back full force, not remembering the wall behind him. "Ouch," he cried out. "Fucking wall, in my way all the time…" He muttered this last part under his breath.

I then heard the phone ringing from the living room, and I knew there was no way that Shigure was coming out to answer it. I briskly stood up and walked to the phone. When I picked it up I heard Hatsuharu in the background, he is the Ox in the zodiac. "Are you sure we need to tell him this? Do you honestly think he'll give a shit about her? After what she did to him? I don't think he will." Then there was Momiji, the Rabbit possessed. "Haru! Don't say such mean things like that, I think he secretly cares for her. You don't lose such a strong bond so easily, even I still love my mother, even after _that_ happened.

Hearing that, I remembered what Momiji had gone through when he was young. It was common really, but still, no one ever learns how to handle it. His mother, when she found out that her son was cursed by the rabbit's spirit, she began to go crazy. Just the fact that she could not even hold her own son drove her insane. The stress from this curse led her to asking Hatori to wipe her memories of Momiji. She didn't even hesitate when she had said that she wished she had never given birth to "that _thing._" Still to this day, she hasn't even remembered that she had a boy at one time in her life. Of course she hasn't, Hatori's memory wipe is flawless. I truly feel sorry for Momiji, but I am happy that he can still smile, along with the rest of us.

"Hello?" Hatori was on the phone. He must have realized it was no longer ringing. "Hatori?" I answered politely. I knew it had to be serious if it was Hatori on the line, but who is this woman Haru was talking about? "Good, it's you, Yuki. I have some rather… Unfortunate news." At this, my curiousity was peaking. Good thing I'm not a cat, I won't get killed. "What is it, Hatori?" Hatori was hesitating, trying to predict how I was going to react. "Your mother, she's dying."

I almost dropped the phone.

The words hit me immediately, but I didn't know how I was supposed to respond to something that huge. She's my mother, I should be horrified. Yet, she abandoned me, I shouldn't care. I never knew her, I should see her. She never visited me, I shouldn't visit her. "She has cancer, Yuki. She only has a month to live. Two at the most." Cancer? How did she get cancer? What sort of condition is she even in? Why do I get the feeling that I want to visit her? This is insane, how can she be dying now? Just when I was finally becoming comfortable with my life, she brings in a whole other layer to deal with. I can't handle this.

Then, "Yuki! Shit, I don't care what she might have done to you; you already know what my mother did to me! I still love her, and I still want to be with her! You never even knew your mom that well, and that should make you want to see her even more. What better time to meet someone than on their deathbed? Besides, she can't really complain, she'll die soon anyway."

I was in absolute shock. Momiji had just sworn. It was the first time I had heard that from him, and because of that, I knew he was totally serious. His words had also struck me hard. It was true, I never knew her at all. I should take this opportunity to learn more about the woman who gave birth to me. Yet, there was still _something_ holding me back. "She is your family, isn't she?" Momiji's voice was cold as he said those words, and I had the feeling that in that single moment, he had the power to be worse than Akito could ever hope to be. It's amazing how death can change people.

Family. _"She is your family, isn't she?"_ Those words rung in my head, over and over again. Until suddenly, I was crying. The phone fell to the ground at last, and my hands landed forcefully onto the table, I was barely able to stay standing. The tears fell so freely from my eyes, as if they had waited years for this moment. From the kitchen I could hear Tohru and Kyo whispering to each other. Though, I didn't care. It felt so wonderful to cry, I can't remember the last time I did this. The uncontrollable tears and weak noises I knew I was making. I felt vulnerable, but _free_. Anything was worth that feeling. Now, I just had to see her.

I blame Momiji for this. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing in front of her door right now. I was truly afraid of going inside, and I wasn't sure how she would react to my visit. I genuinely wanted to see her and talk to her, but now I felt like walking back home. Right now, facing her was the scariest thing in the world.

I couldn't back down now; I was already at her door. I hesitated for a moment before raising my hand and lightly tapping the door. The reply was muffled by a cough, but I could still make out the words, "Come in." It was my mother's voice, but it sounded tired, and dead. I opened the door at a painfully slow speed, but once open I stood appalled at how messy the living room was. Tissues were laid everywhere, and pillows strewn across the floor, and garbage everywhere the eye could see. My mother looked fine, but I quickly noticed the heart monitor attached to her arm.

Her eyes, the same shade of amethyst as my own, were dull and held an almost longing for the sweet reprieve of death. She looked at me with those eyes, and my heart began to ache for her. "Yuki?" Her voice was a soft questioning whisper. All I could do was nod my head. Never before had I seen her so powerless, and I was scared of this. Scared of her, and scared of myself.

"Why are you here?" Her pained voice called out to me.

"I'm here," I said, with my voice staggering, "to give you a second chance at the life you never got to have. With the son you never got to raise." I landed on my knees as my legs gave out on me. All I wanted now was for her to accept me. If she didn't… I don't want to think about that right now.

"Please accept me," I whispered in a voice just as weak as hers.

_Accept me!_

_

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**Please tell me what you thought! Should I continue? Or is it a waste of my time? This is my first at a story involving Yuki and his Mother... Did I do ok?  
**

**Either way, Please REVIEW!!! ^_^**


	2. Dear Mother, Is There a Reason?

**Dear Mother, With Love**

**Chapter Two- Dear Mother, Is There a Reason for Suffering?**

"_I'm sorry. Just, for a little while longer, I want to be 'here.' But maybe I'll know by then. Maybe then I'll know what I have to let go of." Kyo Sohma, Fruits Basket Vol. 19_

In that moment, where I pleaded for her to accept me, not only to her home, but also to her heart, she seemed to stop breathing. The last time we had a moment even similar to this, we were at my school. Now, here I was. I was at her home, on my knees and head bowed. The tears flowed freely once more from my eyes. I couldn't look at her face; I knew I wouldn't be able to handle that shocked expression that was present there. I had never shown this much of my weakness in front of my mother before, and I felt disgusting. It was as if I was surrendering myself to her. I knew that that was exactly what I was doing, but I still felt horrible.

Earlier when she asked me why I was here, I noticed her voice was cracked. I already knew what type of cancer she had. It was throat cancer. Hatori said that she may soon lose her voice. She would have to write everything down. I also knew that my voice was also cracking. There was no way I could stop that. The huge lump in my throat hurt so much, and I almost couldn't breathe, but I still continued to cry onto her floor, risking an asthma attack with every second.

"I-I'm sorry, Yuki…" I knew what this meant, I should know more than anyone else in this family. I was being abandoned, again. Yet, it wasn't her answer that hurt me the most. It was her hesitation. She had considered it, laid out the possibilities, and weighed the consequences, and decided that I wasn't worth it. Suddenly, the air flow to my lungs simply shut off. I couldn't breathe, and everything was going fuzzy. The world moved for a second, and I heard a 'thud' in the distance before everything went black. When I think back on it though, I think it was my head hitting the ground.

I woke up, who knows how many hours later. Hatori's face was above me, and so was Momiji and Haru's. "Are you alright, Yuki?"Momiji's voice was high and filled with worry, and I think I even saw regret somewhere in there. "I'm fine, really, you don't have to worry about me so much."I tried to reply with as much sympathy in my voice as I could manage. Haru started to glare at me, and was about to say something when Hatori began to speak. "Yuki, you should be fine. But I would like you to rest for at least an hour or two before you try to anything stressful again. Come back to my office at around 5pm tomorrow, and I'll double check on you."I nodded a little too quickly, eager to get away from Haru's smoldering glare.

As Hatori walked over to his desk, filling out papers as he did so, I took my chance and got up to head for the door. I was too late though, Haru grabbed my arm and swung it over his shoulder. "What did Hatori just say about this, Yuki"His voice was thick with rage, and I could tell that one wrong word would make him snap. "Don't have to worry about you… that's bullshit…"Haru mumbled to himself, I obviously wasn't meant to hear it. As I continued to stay quiet, Haru looked at me, turning my face as he did so, forcing me to look at him as well. His eyes had changed completely from earlier. He looked so sad right now, remorse and longing filled his eyes, and I kind of wanted to cry again.

I think Haru saw the tears fill my eyes. One began cascading down my cheek, and his hand swept over my face, his thumb wiping it away. Now he was cupping my face in his hand, and I was grateful for the warmth it held. "You do know I care about you, right?" He asked softly. I nodded, knowing my voice would crack if I said anything. "Don't scare me like that again. When Momiji and I heard you had passed out at your mother's place, we didn't know what to think." Haru then pulled me into a large, almost suffocating hug, and I couldn't do anything except reciprocate the action.

Then, Haru whispered thickly into my ear, "You're my best friend, Yuki. It's just, that with this curse, and Akito, and now your mother, I can't be sure that you're even in one piece right now. You seem to be getting better though, you seem a lot happier with yourself then you were before… It's because of _her_ isn't it?"

It wasn't just me who knew what Haru meant by her. Pretty much the entire zodiac knew. Tohru Honda gave us all hope, she made us take chances that we never would have dared consider before, and she made us all feel like we would be free someday. In a way, we all loved her, in another, we all scorned her existence because no one should be that caring. It wasn't possible, but yet it was.

I nodded into Haru's shoulder.

And he pulled me out of his embrace.

He looked me in the eyes.

Then he was kissing me.

It's not like it was a big deal or anything. I had always known that I was more than a friend to him. So I just let him. He knew it meant nothing to me, and as long as he knew that, no harm-no foul. I was careful not to respond in anyway, not even to pull away. Soon, Haru got the idea, and separated from me. He licked his lips, and looked at me again. "You felt nothing?"I nodded. "It's fine,"He responded, "You needed some show of affection anyway."I grinned up at him. "Thanks Haru." I finally said. He simply patted me on the back, and gently pushed me out the door of the Sohma estate.

Back at Shigure's house, Tohru was the only one who had been overly worried about me. Kyo kind of laughed when I walked in the door. I was getting the impression that they had all heard about the situation. "Yuki," Tohru cried, "We were all so worried about you. Hatori told us that you had passed out after seeing your mom!" Yeah, Hatori had ratted me out. "Honda-San, I'm fine, you really don't need to worry so much. I just had an asthma attack, nothing I can die from so easily." Tohru seemed to calm down, and smiled at me, then walked back to the kitchen to finish the dishes she had been doing.

As soon as she was out of hearing range, Kyo scoffed at me. "You went to see your mom? What, hope she might want you after 16 years of abandonment?" I glared at him. "She's dying actually. I went to visit her, it's respectful. Oh, wait, you wouldn't know that, you're just a stupid Cat." Kyo stood, then walked past me. " I don't wanna get into this today." He had shocked me, he had left himself open for a fight, and simply blew me off. Why was everyone so weird today?

"Why?"

The word left my lips before I could filter it.

On his way up the stairs, Kyo turned to stare at me, his eyes refused to reveal anything, and his expression was neutral. "Because it's not worth anything anymore. Things are gonna change soon, and I don't wanna be the only one stuck in the past." I think he saw the shock and comprehension on my face.

"Is it breaking?" I asked with slight skepticism in my voice.

"Yeah, I think so. Least, that's what Kureno's been heard sayin'. And, I think I can sort of feel some kinda tension building up, getting' ready to snap. Ya know?" I looked at him for a moment longer than I probably should have. But he seemed like such a different person right now. Somehow, I felt that this is who he should have been. The Kyo Sohma who should have existed without the curse.

"Yeah." I finally responded. "I've been getting that feeling lately. I think I have been trying to change too, but I never really understood why. I want to believe that I'm doing this for myself. Like I'm trying to become the Yuki Sohma who should have been allowed to exist. And I get that same feeling from you."

Kyo stared at me blankly. I stared back at him too. This went on for what felt like forever, before Kyo turned and started to head back up the stairs. "Kyo…" I whispered. I didn't plan on him hearing me when I heard him say, "What?" I said the only thing I could think of, "Stupid Cat." At hearing this he kinda of smirked at me. "Damn Rat." Even if the world ended this at least wouldn't change. I suppose in a way we're both kind of ignorant, and I for one am a little afraid of a life without the curse. But I was ready to accept the possibility.

Before I even knew it, it was the next day, and I was back at my mother's door. In my hand was a letter in an envelope. In my supposedly elegant cursive was the word 'Mother' and I quietly slipped the note under her door.

Dear Mother,

Is there a reason for suffering? Why should we all have to pay for the mistake of one person. Something that happened such a long time ago. Now I and 12 other people are cursed with these spirits, and honestly, it has ruined all our lives. But not just ours either. The people around us, and all the people we want to be close to have to pay for this as well.

I think it is breaking though. I feel this tension inside of me, and it continues to build up, and it feels like it might snap soon. The curse may finally be gone. This means that we are all at the Last Banquet. I already knew it was strange for the entire zodiac to be here, but I was never sure why.

Mother, you are dying. I at least want you to be around for the last moments of the curse. I also want to know you. I want to know who you are. I want to know why you abandoned me as a child. I also want to know if you even see me as your child.

May I be your child?

Sincerely,

Yuki Sohma

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**Tee hee**

**I kno.... This story is kinda cheesy.... But I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! xD**

**Please R&R**

**Ja ne**

**~Kasaki Kihoya~  
**


	3. Dear Mother, May I Be Your Child?

**Dear Mother, With Love**

**Chapter Three: Dear Mother, May I be your child?**

"**I have no positive proof that I can make you happy, but if I told you I love you… I can't help but wonder. Will you disappear?" – Ayame Sohma, Fruits Basket Vol. 19**

That night, as I lay in my bed, I could feel my weight in the mattress, kind of pushing back against my back with a slightly uncomfortable force. My body was not really making much of an impression on the bed, even after two years of sleeping on the same bed. Above me, the ceiling of my room was being washed by the shadows of trees, the stars and moonlight creating an almost ethereal glow that clouded my room. Though this light was filtered by my window, it had nearly the same effect as the pure moonlight would from outside with the crisp air to smother my lungs. Around the source of the angelic brightness were twinkling spheres; they were only mirrors though, reflecting the moons shine, and making it only that much stronger.

In my mind, I was sure that my eyes also glimmered with the light in the sky. I had been in bed for nearly two hours at this point. I had watched the sunset, hoping for sleep to quickly take me under its wonderful spell. No such thing happened. As the moon and stars made their appearance, I had gotten tired, but remained awake. Being unable to sleep, I had recently given up on my falsely placed hope. The only thought occupying my mind was the last words of my letter.

'_May I be your child?'_

At first, I worried. Would she be offended at my somewhat rebellious request? If so, when she declined me, I was prepared to profusely apologize to her, and offer some kind of compensation for my silly, childish impulse. Then, the thought crossed my mind, what if she understood me, and accepted? I couldn't think of a single way to handle such an overwhelming situation.I decided quickly that I could only make a decision when the time came. My thoughts then drifted to the sky once more. As I looked at the sky, which held beauty beyond expression, I finally understood how Kyo could lay on the roof for hours at a time. Though, I knew, I preferred to stay in my bed, if given the choice.

However, I continued to think of how it would feel to experience this scene painted outside my window, only with the endless canvas of the world before me. Curiosity was getting the better of me, and soon I was whipping the blankets off my body, and finally ridding my bed of my weight. It groaned with relief, I ignored this though, as I made my way to the door. Sliding my door open, I stuck my head out a little to make sure everyone was sleeping still. Getting my confirmation from the almost eerie silence of the hall, I stepped out of my room and headed downstairs. I was unsure of how Kyo made it up so high, but the only way up there, which I knew of, was the ladder in the backyard. I was sure, that he had never even seen that route. For the only times he goes outdoors is to either get to school, or go to his special place on the roof.

_This was_ _his special place._

The roof was Kyo's special place. What right did I, the one he has hated for our entire lives, have to invade the one place he could be himself in this house. Even I had a place like that. Out in the forest we lived around was my garden. The thrill it gave me to see my plants grow, to give life to something, I imagine it's the same for Kyo. I was just behind the sliding door that separated me from the outside, gazing up at the stars and their misty glow.

_What's the harm of one trip?_

This thought took over all my functions the second I thought it. And in an instant I was on the other side of the door, and searching for the ladder. The dark figure, illuminated by the lighted darkness of the sky, stood out like a sore thumb against the lighter colored house. I walked up to the dark ladder, which was not much taller than our house, and began the climb. As each of my feet continued to his the rungs as I climbed, I slowly regained coherent thought, or at least as much as is possible late at night. I thought, 'What if he's up there?' I was considering starting a decent back down the ladder, but I could touch the roof if I wanted; I was so _close_. Besides, if he was up there, he would have already heard my not-so-quiet steps hitting the ladder.

My hand landed on the rough, almost sandpaper like surface as I swung my legs over the edge to get fully on the higher up ground. As soon as I was sure I wasn't going to fall over the edge, having moved a few feet from said edge, I looked up and gasped. It was almost like my eyes had been cleared of a sort of film that cleared my vision, allowing me to see better by ten-fold. I felt like I was soaring, and nothing would dare to cause me to crash. Below me though, I felt my entire being tremble, not from a cold chill, but from the emotional impact this had on me.

_I felt free…_

I knew that it was silly, but I felt like nothing troubling existed. It was as if the zodiac curse was a childs tale, and that Kyo was not an enemy, and Akito and my mother were not unhappy with my very presence on Earth. It felt so amazing, and I felt euphoric. So much so that it caused a tear to stream down my face. My hand flew to my face in an instant, and I wasn't flying anymore. I had crashed, all in an instant, my high was over, and all my problems were in fact real. Nothing would ever change that. I think I was stupid to think, even for a second, that any other reality was possible. A burning sensation reached my face in this moment. I knew that a deep blush covered my face, and that was fine, I deserved it for the outlandish thoughts I was starting to have.

With my hand on my cheek under the eye that had shed that one tear, I was starting to get the urge to really cry. It was something I had not done in years. Then a deep, hearty chuckle reached my ears, and my eyes got wide. It was a familiar laugh that I had heard. More color flooded my face, and my head whipped around, hand still glued to my face. A bright red dot crossed my blurred vision, and I tried to focus. I eventually succeeded, but not before his humored voice reached my ears again.

"What's your problem?" Kyo's darker face was smirking towards my blushing pale one. It didn't help at all that the light was shining more on my face than his, and I knew that he knew this. Still, his bright red eyes glowed, just like a cats. "I-I'm sorry… I really shouldn't be up here at all." My voice trembled with fear, and uncertainty, and the dam behind my eyes broke. My cheeks and hands were quickly soaked with the salty water of my tears. Kyo's look changed from humored to worry. I had never cried in front of him, or anyone in this house.

"Are you alright?!" His voice dripped with concern, and I felt horribly guilty for being the cause of it. I started to sob softly, and quietly managed, "I-I'm fine…" I knew perfectly well that my voice, saturated with my sobbing tearful state, would only worry him more. Yet, I could help but wonder, maybe I wanted that. For someone to worry, I think would make me happy. It seemed pathetic to me, but once I accepted this, I tried to clean up a little. I wiped the tears from my eyes, and cleared my throat. I felt like what I was trying to do was sort of sad. He had already seen me with his piercing red eyes, so why was I trying to cover up now?

You're… allowed to be sad, ya know?" His voice was filled, not with pity for me, but sympathy because he understood. I shook my head, ad he laughed a bit. Obviously he had expected me to disagree. He looked like he understood though. He knew exactly what I meant.

I was the rat, the one who got everything. I got to be number one, and supposedly got whatever I could ask for. I was a role model for the rest of the zodiac, and God's favorite as well. I was not supposed to be sad. It was practically forbidden. If I broke down, then what hope was there in this depressing existence?

Across the roof from me, Kyo sighed quietly. I looked up to meet his gaze, which was still glued to me. His eyes were not full of the sympathy anymore, but seemed to be searching. For what I was unsure, but when he noticed my eyes on him, he signaled me to come over to him. I stood shakily, and crossed to the other side of the roof where he was sitting, his legs were spread out, and he had been laying on his elbow. When I had sat down next to him, my legs crossed in the traditional Indian style, he moved to lie on his back. The hair on his face fell and spread around his head, and his eyes seemed to be looking for answers to unspoken question in the stars.

Then, his head turned to face me once more, and his ruby orbs scanned my face. He analyzed the eyes people had said resembled an amethyst jewel, and skimmed over my pale porcelain skin, finally through my silver hair, which Manabe-San enjoyed teasing me about. Finally he took in a breath in preparation to speak. "Why are you trying so hard? What reward are you getting out of this? She hurt you so much, but you still want her to approve of you?" I didn't know a decent answer to that question. Why did I still chase after her? Was it because she was on a timer, and that I knew when she would die? Or was that just my trigger? "I don't know…" This was the only answer I could think of, and Kyo just looked at the stars again.

Kyo let out a heavy breathe, but I noticed that it was a little shaky, and he had been trying to avoid that. "It's because you want her to love you. She disowned you so viciously that you just want her to approve of you just once. For her to say, 'I love you.'" I was awestruck. I had not expected to hear Kyo say anything remotely deep, though I suppose I should have, given the direction of this conversation. It made sense though. And I think that my heart is crying out for some form of acceptance when I am near her. "Why are you telling me this?" I couldn't think of anything else to say, and the silence had been uncomfortable. All I could think of was a question to his motives.

He began to talk again, and while he was speaking, his eyes never left mine. They were filled with certainty, and a confidence I wish I had.

"Over the years, I've been pretty stupid. I've made promises I know I can't keep, broken ones I could have kept, and probably hurt some people I loved. I'm getting sick of it. Always screwing this up, and hurting people. Hurting myself. I want to be someone that people can rely on, and can put their trust in. I also wanna make amends to the one person I made my biggest promise to. I need to apologize to her, but before I can do that, I need to make sure I can keep my word. Next time I talk to her, I need to be prepared to go through with it this time. Told her I would protect the one thing most precious to her. I was just a kid at the time, but she made me feel like… Like a superhero. I thought I could do it, but shit happened, and I took the coward's way out. What I've come to realize though, is that it's a fuckin' small world, and you can't just run away from shit. It'll follow you no matter what. I need to become a better person, and with what time I've been given, I wanna tell Kyoko that I need her to forgive me, and that I just can't protect Tohru for as long as I told her I would. I'm living on borrowed time here, and it's killing me, because I waited too long to start makin' amends. Now I gotta pay for that mistake. Maybe though, if I can convince someone else to do the same before their time comes, I can start to at least forgive myself."

I was stunned by the speech Kyo had given, for he was normally a person of few words. I felt the tears quickly well up in my eyes again, but I refused to cry. Kyo still watched me. He was now smiling though, as if a weight had been taken off him. I felt that this is what he had been wanting to say since our last encounter. "I too want to be forgiven, both by myself, and from my mother." I whispered softly, and Kyo only smiled knowingly. "Figured," Was all he said for the rest of the night. Slowly, I at last got tired, and fell asleep next to him on the roof. It was the best sleep I had gotten in quite a while.

_I forgive you, if that counts for anything.._

I don't think I will ever know who said that somewhere in the starlit mist of that chilly night.

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**Hehe, I love how this story is goin so far, and the few people who read this should be happy that I updated TWICE today! ^_^**

**I already know how this story will end too!**

**Oh, by the way, sorry for my writing style changes in this chappie~!**

**Anywayz....**

**Ja ne**

**~Kasaki Kihoya  
**


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